Why do we care about more airports? There are so many already…

Well, new airports/ bigger airports that we can fit into mean more options for flights, but also for diversions. So it is worth knowing about what is heading over the horizon. They also likely mean new procedures at existing airports, more complex and/or congested airspace and a whole bunch of risk assessments that will eventually need doing (if you do plan on heading into any).

So, here is a bit of a summary of what is happening in the world of airport building.*

*We aren’t really interested in terminal expansions and all that jazz, so the list below is just about new airports and new or upgraded runways… things that really matter to pilots (and the folk planning their flights).

Airports in Asia

There is a report called The Big List, made by Interairport which you can download from their site. It was actually published back in 2023, but it covers all the work going on at airports in the Asia region. This region is growing fast. Way faster than anywhere else in the world of aviation.

AUSTRALIA:

YPPH/Perth is having a new terminal and also a new parallel runway (their third runway) built. This is expected to be completed in 2031, with works beginning in 2025. It will allow the accommodate much higher levels of traffic and passengers.

YWLM/Newcastle International is being upgraded to a Code E airport so it can support wide bodies including Boeing 787 and A330, making it a great alternate for nearby Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne. Due for completion 2025.

CAMBODIA:

VDTI/Techno International works began in 2020 and are expected to be finished in 2025. This airport will be a 4F class airport, and the ninth largest airport in the world. Once opened, it will replace the current VDPP/Phnom Penh International.

INDONESIA:

Nusantara airport is due to open December 2024… but is yet to have its ICAO/IATA codes assigned. Its runway is working though, and will be able to accommodate even the mega A380.

MALAYSIA:

Kuantan International is a brand new airport planned to support Pahang state where there is a whole lot of development happening. Work is starting (probably started already) in 2025, and it is set for completion in 2026. 2 years for a brand new airport with a 250,000 passenger capacity… watch this space.

PHILIPPINES:

Sangley Point international is a whole new hub being built to help ease congestion at the current Manilas. Actually, the Philippines are throwing money at almost every airport they have, so expect a lot of work at a lot ofthem. But this one is new and is expected to open sometime in 2025.

New Manila With 4 parallel runways planned, this is going to be a big one. It is due to open sometime in 2027, presumably with a change to the other 2 Manila airports and also the new one opening in 2025…

THAILAND:

Andaman International. Thailand is another one investing a lot in their current airports, with terminal expansions and ramp expansions popping up all over the place. But Andaman is a whole brand spanking new airport due to open in 2032. Once opened, it will serve primary long haul international flights and domestic and shorter haul ops will head into VTSP/Phuket.

VTBU/U-Tapao aviation city is one I’ve snuck in because it isn’t really a new airport – it involves turning the old U-Tapao airport into a third main international airport. And it already has a pretty decent length runway. But the project is huge, and will connect the other airports up and provide another option for folk heading in so we’ll add it in anyway.

VIETNAM:

Long Thanh International construction started in 2021, and phase I of this mega site (incluyding a 4k long, 75m wide runway) is due for completion in 2025. Do we need runways that long and wide? Mabe space ops do…

Dien Bien Phu actually completed its runway expansion plans back in 2023, but you might have missed it. In case you did, it now has a 45m by 2400m runway. So if you fly anything up to an A321, you can probably head here.

Con Dao is also getting an expanded runway, with the new one able to accommodate B737/A319 sort of sizes. It should be opening imminently, with the project date set in 2024.

VVPT/Phan Thiet is half military half commercial than can support 4E level ops… or rather will be when finished. The approval for a 3050m runway only went through in October 2024, so a while to go yet. It is currently open to military ops though.

Sa Pa/ Quang Tri/ Lau Chau I lumped into one because these are all new airports currently or soon to be under construction. Sa Pa had works start in 2022, and is currently expected to finish around 2026. It will be a 4C airport so domestic, short haul sort of stuff. Quang Tri works only started in 2024 and will also be a 4C airport*. Lau Chau is prpbably due to open sometime between now and 2023.

*That’s around 1800m and supporting up to 36m wingspans.

INDIA:

Noida International Airport is a big one. It was supposed to open in September 2024, but has been pushed back to April 2025. No worries, it should be worth the wait as this will be Asia’s biggest airport once it opens. It is in Utter Pradesh in case you’re wondering.

Airports in the North Atlantic & Europe

Well, mostly Greenland actually.

GREENLAND

BGGH/Nuuk is set to open soon!  November 28, 2024 to be precise. Now, you might think “I don’t much fancy visiting Greeland!” (if so, go read about it because it actually looks super interesting for holidays), but… this is exciting for anyone who flies over the North Atlantic because there are limited few airports to head to in emergencies, and this will be a new one. Well, a new one for some because it is getting bigger – the runway is set to be 2,200m (if that works for your aircraft).

Ilulissat airport is also having its runway stretched to 2,200m, and is due to be ready in 2026.

Qaqortoq is a new airport, also set to open in 2026. With a shorter 1,500m runway (although that might get extended to 1,799m) it is smaller so maybe less accommodating for all sizes, but still good to know about.

POLAND:

Solidarity Transport Hub will be the country’s largest airport when its done – a sort of mega airport central hub. It is in Baranow (near Warsaw) and will hopefully open up sometime in 2027, but other places say 2032 so who really knows. Eventually, it will boast 4 runways 4000m x 45m. They haven’t really decided, but given its proximity to current EPWA/Warsaw Chopin, there is a chance it will become the new EPWA, and the old one might close. Interestingly, they’ve been talking about this new airport since 1971.

UK:

EGLL/Heathrow Yeah, I know, its been off and on since forever. The closest it came was in 2020 when its expansion plan was approved… but then Covid hit and it stopped again. Apparently, it is going to be re-announced sometime in 2024.

GREECE:

Kasteli airport in Crete is due to open in 2025 after a whole lot of delays. Once it does, it will take over from LGIR/Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis, and will be a welcome addition to the region given how much they all fill up in summer! The new airport will have a nice 3200m and a lot of space for aircraft.

Airports in the Middle East

UAE:

OMDW/Al Maktoum International‘s expansion is set to make it one of the biggest airports in the world. You might think they don’t need it given how many airports are already in the area, but given how much of a world central hub the UAE is, this will be a big benefit. The original airport is only 14 years old, but works are set to be completed by 2030. The newly bigged up airport is planned to have five parallel runways, so pretty mega.

SAUDI ARABIA:

King Salman international is a 2030 vision, set to rival the new OMDW in size. It will be in the Riyadh area, and that’s all I can currently tell you about it. In case you missed it, the new OERS/Red Sea International only really opened for international flights in 2024, so still counts as new.

Airport Everywhere Else

There are a lot of airport works going on in other spots like the USA too, but these are more terminal upgrades and system upgrades (that’s no bad thing). And I am only one person with one set of fingers so this is all they got for you for now.